


Three of a kind

by Jarakrisafis



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:26:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27326515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarakrisafis/pseuds/Jarakrisafis
Summary: Gorim waited for her, every day he told himself she had to have escaped. He didn't expect her to come back with another lover.
Relationships: Female Aeducan/Female Brosca/Gorim Saelac
Comments: 6
Kudos: 4
Collections: 2020 A Paragon of Their Kind Dragon Age Dwarf Exchange





	Three of a kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Settiai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/gifts).



She said she'd find him.

And yet...

He clenched a hand round the pommel of his sword. It's not _his_ sword. That he had to leave behind, but it's a decent blade; good enough to make him feel safe as he stood well beyond the gates of Denerim. Still, he should get in soon. Night was nearly upon the city, dusk painting the sky a bold red as the sun slipped behind the rolling hills. He didn't wish to argue with the night guard to let him in. He also didn't want to leave just yet. There were still travellers arriving, pushing on to get to town rather than spend another night in the wilderness.

She could be among them. It's been long enough. He's seen a few soldiers arriving. He heard the news: They lost. The King is dead. The grey Wardens turned on him.

He couldn't believe she would do that.

She said she'd find him and he had to trust she would keep her word.

It was getting harder everyday. Perhaps one day soon he'd stop ignoring the flirting of the smith's daughter. Perhaps he would stop living with a fool's hope.

The grass was wet underfoot as he slid down the edge of the rise he was on. He huffed, ignoring the feel of wet fabric sticking to his legs above his boots as he trudged back to Denerim. To home, such as it was.

It really wasn't.

Home was with her.

He slipped in amongst another group of mismatched refugees, passing under the gate and into the main city. He didn't expect to nearly fall over somebody smaller than he was. Apart from children, who don't tend to be outside the city walls, almost everybody is taller than he was.

"Watch it!"

"My apologies," he said, stepping out of the way of the dwarven woman who stopped glaring at him only to frown. "Can I help you?"

She tilted her head, hefting the pack she's carrying a little higher, "maybe." She shifted her weight, giving him another piercing stare as he waited for her to continue. "Gorim."

"Yes?" He answered before his mind caught up and pointed out that some random dwarven woman with a brand and worn leathers should not know his name.

She smiled at him, her eyes glinting in the light of the torches as darkness finally fell. "Yes, you can help me."

"I." He stopped. He had to ask - he didn't want to. "How do you know who I am?"

She grinned - it seemed a little forced - before she said exactly what he suspected: "Sereda." There must have been something in his expression as she hurried to explain further. "She's fine. I got sent ahead to book rooms at a tavern."

It was like the floor dropped out from under him - the same way looking up had made his stomach churn for the first few nights out of Orzammar. She's fine. She's safe. She's here. Or would be. Soon. There was an arm looped through his as he stared blankly at the tavern they're stopped outside of with no real memory of walking there. "She didn't say you were easily broken." A finger dug into his side and he hissed in part pain and part admonishment. "You back with me again?"

"Yes." He said, as he extricated himself from her grip.

"I got to book rooms for the rest of our party," she studied him for a moment, "do I need to book a room for me and Sereda?"

He opened his mouth to say no, of course not. But something made him stop, studying her. There was something defensive, mildly uncomfortable and not quite right about how she asked that… He didn't want to know if he's been replaced. He couldn't afford not to know. "No, you can stay with me." A heartbeat. "If it'll save you money."

She nodded slowly, "I'll book the rest in then you can show me where you live, we'll be by when they get here."

He lifted a hand, pointing down the street, "the one with the green windowsill." It was small, wedged between two other houses but it's stone and that made him want it above the wooden things further out that were bigger. "I'll go, set a fire and things." He didn't wait for a reply, his mind whirling with emotions and thoughts. He needed to go and think. Calm down.

He was sitting in one of his mismatched armchairs in front of a crackling fire before he realised he never even got her name. Time seemed to slow as he waited, the tea he was going to make sitting untouched beside the fire.

There was no knock, no announcement beyond the door opening, and he stood up, turning to make sure it's his expected visitors. "If you don't tell me where we're going, I'll…" He stared. "...Gorim?" Sereda stared back, frozen in the doorway.

And she was real. Solid. Her breath hot on his neck, arms tight around his chest as she sobbed something incoherent; all he could make out was his name. He was vaguely aware of her companion stepping in and gently closing the door. He held her till she stopped crying and looked over her shoulder at the other woman who's leant against the wall. She was feigning nonchalance very well, but Gorim could still see tenseness in the set of her shoulders and the crossed arms.

"Are you going to introduce me?" he asked quietly. 

Sereda stepped out of his hold, a faint flush creeping across her cheeks. "Uhm, right, this is Nat."

He waited and she offered nothing more, a silence filling the room until he stepped over to the fire, "Want some tea?" he offered, glad when both of them sat down.

"Cards?" He jumped, the hand that was about to pick the kettle of the fire jerking slightly until he calmed himself. Nat was thumbing through a worn pack of wicked grace cards. He snuck a look at Sereda, she didn't seem unwilling so he nodded before turning back to the tea.

It kept him occupied until the cards were dealt and then he'd be able to concentrate on them instead. Not on the things he wanted to ask but didn't dare to.

They talked of inconsequential things. It was almost like being back in Orzammar. Except for the brand who cheated outrageously and just gave him bright innocent smiles whenever he caught her - and he was sure he was barely catching half of the tricks she was pulling.

They're down to just the two of them; Sereda had folded and sat back a couple of rounds back, when Nat pulls out her final volley of the night. "We're fucking," the brand said with a smile that's a touch too wide. "Pretty sure you'd guessed that. And I know you two were and probably will be again. She," one thumb jerked in Sereda's direction, who hasn't yet picked her jaw up, surprise taking any words she might have had, "is probably hoping we will fuck too."

Gorim fumbled for his cards, cursing when he only caught half of them. Well. That's the answer to the question he hadn't wanted to ask. Sereda was indeed fucking the brand. He almost opened his mouth to respond to that, something cutting about how she hadn't waited long before the rest of the brand's words settled in his brain. He put the remainder of his cards down and looked at Sereda. She'd sunk back in her chair and covered her face, what seemed to be slightly hysterical laughter escaping. 

He couldn't help the twitch of his mouth into a genuine smile, rough laughter escaping him. Sod, but the brand - no, Nat, she'd have balls of cast iron if she was a man. He would have been dancing round the issue all night and he knew Sereda would have been no better.

He didn't know her but she was good enough to have caught Sereda's eye and that would be enough for him to at least try. He didn't think he could take it if he forced Sereda to choose and it wasn't him she stayed with. He'd rather share her than lose her.

"Bed's big enough for three," he offered. It was the one thing he'd spent money on when he'd found this place. A proper dwarven bed was worth spending a chunk of the money his House had sent him to the surface with. "I have spare blankets if you want them." He added when Nat threw him a suggestive look. Willing to get along with somebody and fucking them right away was not the same thing. Nat seemed to understand that as she nodded and Sereda just seemed relieved that neither of them had stormed out. No, it wasn't what he was expecting, or exactly wanted, but he could adjust.

\---

The darkspawn were getting ever nearer. Denerim had been preparing for weeks, putting up siege defences in the hopes it would slow down the advancing threat. There were armies converging from the allies Sereda and Natia had been gathering.

They had turned up looking like they'd been through a long battle. Which quite frankly could well be true. He hadn't asked. They'd been to talk to the human nobles and Gorim had as little interest in that as he had for the noble caste shenanigans back in Orzammar. He had tracked things then only because it was part of his job and Sereda's life could well be decided in plots he had to try and find out before they ended with a knife in her back. He didn't miss such scheming.

Nor, as far as he could tell, did Sereda. He hadn't seen her so happy for a long time. Contrary to what they'd been told in Orzammar, the surface was not a bad place once you got past the sunburn, endless sky, and falling water.

They'd asked for a night with no talk of politics or the coming battle or anything of that sort. He'd been happy to oblige them. He wasn't really looking forward to the approaching battle either.

"So then," Nat said with a flourish as she came to the end of her current joke, "the warrior said; but that was my favourite sword." Sereda blinked then burst out laughing. Gorim took the chance offered to scope out the cards she was showing off. Nat was clearly doing the same and she winked at him when they realised what they were both doing. "Why Ser Saelac, I thought you had more honour than that." Nat said with a sly grin.

Sereda straightened up, "what?"

"Checking out your ... _cards_ while you were indisposed."

Sereda gave him a wounded glance, and turned her cards away from him. Then she went pink as the rest of Natia's implication caught up. "Nat!" she hissed, as she tugged her shirt a little higher where it had indeed dropped.

"What? You can't tell me he's not seen that before? And surely you can't tell me you haven't seen _his_ sword?" She replied baldly and Sereda flushed an even deeper shade of red.

He should have been jumping to her defence. Should. Instead he chuckled as she hid behind her cards. He certainly shouldn't be joining in. "Of course she's seen my sword. It's a very fine one, if I do say so myself."

Sereda gaped at him, apparently unable to find a response. The silence lasted for several heartbeats and then Nat burst out with loud laughter as she waved a hand at him. "When do _I_ get to see your sword?"

"My sword would be entirely too much for you to wield." Gorim says blandly.

"Oh, want to take a bet on that?"

"Gorim!" Sereda blurted out at the same time, shock etched on her face.

Nat just cackled even louder.

"Yes?" He asked with an innocent look in Sereda's direction. Or at least, as innocent as he could manage.

"You never make jokes!"

He folded his cards and put them face down on the table. "It wouldn't have been appropriate back in Orzammar."

"The best jokes are never appropriate." Nat pointed out.

Gorim snickered, "No, but they are _hard_ to make."

"Nice to slip one in every so often so you don't get too bored." Nat fires back with a raised eyebrow.

"Very true, you need to shake things up a bit from time to time," he says. Challenge accepted.

"I'm not sure about shaking, slow and steady is pretty good."

"Oh, you like to draw it out do you? Wait for the perfect moment to drop the punchline."

"Of course, you have to time it right to get the best response."

"Very true, if it's too soon it's an awful let down."

"And then nothing really comes of it. You gotta start again."

"Starting again isn't easy, you've got to fit a lot of things in to get it right."

"I'm so glad you're both getting along. Can we talk about something else? Please?" Sereda finally interrupted, one hand flung over her eyes and a bright red blush stained her cheeks and crept down her neck.

"We could talk about exactly what I'd like to do to you with the help of Gorim's sword."

Sereda's forehead hit the table with a loud thunk and her voice was muffled when she spoke. "You two are terrible. I'm going to bed." He could see her freeze a moment later as she thought through what she'd just said and she lifted her head up to give them both a stern glare. "To sleep. Before either of you say a word."

"What about snuggling?" Nat asked as she followed when Sereda stood up. Gorim wasn't about to be left at an empty table and trailed after them.

"If you behave." Sereda said, before her gaze swiveled to Gorim, "that includes you too. And you'll probably want to get in first, Nat won't sleep by the wall."

Gorim didn't ask. He'd seen Nat sneaking the dagger out from under the pillow last time they stayed. If she wanted that side she could have that side. He stripped off and slid under the blankets. Sereda followed him in, curling into his chest. He didn't bother protesting that she was cold, she wouldn't have moved even if he had. He was unfortunately used to being used as a warming device.

The covers shifted as Nat added herself to the pile, her hand brushing against Gorim as she pressed herself against Sereda's other side and flung a hand around her waist.

"G'night" Sereda muttered, her words nearly obscured by a yawn. "Love you both, even if you are both assholes."

Gorim laughed. "Unless you're wanting a viewing of my sword, go to sleep." She smacked his shoulder and huffed.

Behind her Nat snickered. "Night Seri, night Gorim." She waited, just long enough for Sereda to think she was stopping there before she spoke again. "If you want to demonstrate sword techniques in the morning let me know."

\---

"Bed still big enough for three?"

Gorim whirled round at the question. It'd been days since the Blight was officially ended, long days of clearing the city so that they didn't fall to sickness. Water, food, shelter, they'd been enough to keep every able bodied person up and working with others they would not normally be seen rubbing shoulders with.

And then there were many that had no place to go, both those whose homes had been destroyed by the fires that had raged unchecked in places and the armies that had rampaged through.

Sorting all of that was not an easy job and organising it even less so. The most he'd been able to do was see them both from a distance to reassure himself that Sereda and Natia were fine. Battered and exhausted, as they all were but otherwise fine. He wasn't sure what he would have done if Sereda had fallen. And now if they could stay for longer than what felt like stolen times between jobs and missions he was hoping he could properly get to know Natia.

He reached up to push hair that's come loose back out of his face. "Remarkably, yes." He'd been lucky: his house was missing a few chunks of stone off the front facing but it was all cosmetic. The inside was untouched except for the lingering scent of smoke that still hung over Denerim.

"I was worrying about you till Nat said she'd seen you." Sereda said as soon as the door shut behind them, and Gorim had barely enough time to brace himself before her arms were wrapped around him

"You were busy with the Arl. Working out what to do next." He laughed at the disgusted noise Sereda made and the way Nat coughed to cover her amusement and slipped away, her grumble about human plumbing being worse than dust town's audible through the wooden door separating the rooms.

"I'm hoping he won't find us here. I just want a full night’s sleep without being woken up for some inane reason."

"That bad?" he muttered and he felt her nod. "Let go." He urged and she unwound herself from him rather reluctantly. He went straight for his liquor cabinet. Admittedly a few bottles wasn't much, but he had sourced a good Orzammar ale that wasn't nugpiss and this seemed like a perfect time to open it.

"My duster senses are tingling." Nat said as she stepped back into the room, her eyes found the bottle in his hand with ease. "I'm smelling good alcohol."

"This is one glass only stuff," he said as he poured it out, "it's strong."

"I can hold it, unlike some people." Nat said with a sidelong glance across the room.

"I'm not that bad." Sereda said imperiously.

Gorim snorted. Sereda could hold her ale in the same way that a nug could fight a darkspawn... Terribly.

Nat threw herself down in front of the hearthfire and pulled out her cards. "Diamondback tonight. Somebody won't be up for Wicked Grace in a little while."

"Not that she is ever." Gorim said as he too forwent the chairs, though he did grab a cushion to sit on.

Sereda flopped down with a huff, leaning on Gorim's shoulder. "Mean."

"Yes, that's me. Truthful and mean." He said. "Shall I tell Nat about that time you stole that bottle of something called rum from Antiva from Trian and mmmmmpph."

Sereda kept her hand over his mouth. "And nothing happened. Absolutely nothing."

Nat hummed, "I can wait to find out. Another glass of this and you won't even know what he's saying."

"Should never have introduced you." Sereda said mournfully, though there was a smile on her face as she said it. "All you do is pick on me."

"It's to make sure your head doesn't get too big and drift off into the sky." Nat said, "cards?"

Sereda snorted. "See, mean." It didn't stop her from picking up the cards Nat flicked at her. "What are we playing?"

Gorim shook his head, Nat had already answered that.

"Diamondback. I'm not mean enough to make you play Wicked Grace while pissed."

"I don't know, she might be better at it." Gorim muttered and Sereda gave him a wounded look. He just raised an eyebrow in response.

She pointedly took another sip of her drink. Gorim wondered how long she'd last. He didn't think it'd be too long - it was strong stuff even for him.

Four rounds was the answer to his question. Four rounds of diamondback and she was giggling like she'd overdosed on stamina potions. She'd also collapsed onto his shoulder and was trying to undo his belt. The ale removing her dexterity was the only thing that saved his dignity.

"Bed time for you." Gorim said as he captured her hands and tugged them away from his breeches. Sereda slipped a little further down his shoulder. "Give me a hand with her?"

Nat grabbed her other side so they could haul her into the bedroom. Sereda giggled and Gorim heard Nat yelp. "Stone damn it, Seri."

"What did she do?" He asked curiously as they got her to sit on the bed so they could get her outer clothing off so she'd be comfortable.

"Pinched my ass." Nat said with a grimace as one hand rubbed at her abused posterior.

"It's a nice ass." Sereda muttered as she flopped back on the bed. "I'mma go sleep now." She rolled over, grabbed the covers and sprawled out.

Gorim frowned and tugged at the covers. They came free but Sereda stayed stubbornly on the far side of the bed. "Sereda." He reached out, poking her in a spot he knew would make her giggle if she was awake. There was a definite lack of response.

Nat shrugged when he looked at her, and he sighed. He knew she would be sleeping on the outside edge, like normal. Apparently she didn't do well with feeling trapped, which meant he had to go in the centre which was usually Sereda's place. When she was awake enough to be of any assistance that is.

He stripped off his clothing and climbed in. Nat settled behind him with a grumble. "Don't get too handsy." There's a beat of silence and then she poked him. "Or actually, you know, I don't mind. Get as handsy as you want."

He chuckled. "Not tonight. Reach over and blow the lamp out."

He could swear there was a muttered, "pity," as the light went out.

\---

Gorim knew Sereda was out of coins to take his bet, which meant he didn't have to divide his attention any longer. He could pay more attention to the cheating duster who was constantly finding new ways to swindle him.

He peered over his cards at Nat, his gimlet eyed stare a hopeful deterrent to any further attempts at liberating more cards than she should or making off with money from the pot. She offered a too-wide smile in return, expression entirely too benign to assure him that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. He narrowed his eyes when the edge of her lips quirked upwards in a playful smirk.

The moment was broken by the green fabric that was dropped on top of the bowl they were using to keep the coins from ending up all over the floor. Given the colour that could only be one thing. He turned to look at Sereda. She smiled back, an innocent expression that completely ignored the fact that she no longer had her shirt on.

"Well," Nat said. Gorim turned his attention back to her, realising he'd made the mistake of looking away for too long. Who knew how many cards she'd changed while he was busy staring. "If that's allowable currency now…" Gorim blinked and sat back as Nat contorted her body, her arms twisted up her back under her shirt until she grinned and plopped a strip of fabric on top of Sereda's shirt.

His eyes flitted over the curves under Nat's shirt; her breasts rather more noticeable now she didn't have anything confining them. Well. If that was how things were going to be then. He debated for a moment; should he, or should he not… He dropped his hands to his waist, unbuckled his belt and added it to the pile.

Sereda looked at her cards again before she dropped her head onto the table. "You weren't meant to take that bet," she said plaintively, "I fold."

Nat tilted her head, smiled sweetly, and put down the angel of death. Gorim swore as he laid out his hand. He didn't know how she did it, but she had to have cheated. Again. She swept the contents of the pot into her stash and then put Sereda's shirt back in the centre as Gorim collected the cards to shuffle them. "What are you willing to bet to get it back Seri?" She asked with a wicked grin.

Sereda stared back before she very eloquently said: "Fuck." Gorim tossed his shirt in and started to deal the cards. Sereda added her breastband with a put out look, "I don't know why I'm bothering, I'm just going to lose that too."

Gorim made sure to keep his eyes fixed on Nat for the entire round to stop her cheating and she looked extremely put out when he managed to win. He reclaimed his belt that Nat had put back in the pot and scooped up the extra items of clothing.

"I'm going to make some tea." Sereda said as she watched Gorim debate what to put in for the next round and Nat shimmied out of her breeches to add them in. "I'm a little low on currency right now."

Nat whistled as Sereda hauled herself up and walked over to the fire with a very deliberate sway in her hips. It accentuated the fact that all she had left on her was a deep veridian pair of lacy smalls that covered very little.

Gorim could only blame himself for his next loss. Turned out it was remarkably hard to concentrate on cards when there were two sets of breasts casually being shown off and he couldn't stop looking. Especially after Sereda had planted herself down on his lap to drink her tea.

He folded his arms over his chest as Nat admired the pile of clothing she'd acquired. The shirt and smalls that he still laid claim to would not win all of that back. However he did have an excellent idea as Sereda looked between them both from her spot on his lap. "One last round then?"

Nat smirked, "you want to lose what little you have left? Hit me."

He dealt the cards and dropped his shirt into the pot. Nat snickered and added the first thing that came to her hand from the pile beside her chair. "Your move."

He grinned back and dropped his hand to Sereda's remaining item of clothing, she obliged him by letting him wiggle them down her legs and off her. He dropped them on the table with a smug smile.

Nat raised a single eyebrow, "That is cheating."

"They were on my chair."

"You're still going to run out of clothing." She pointed out pragmatically as she added another item from her pile and took a card that she promptly put back with a faint frown.

Of course he was, next round saw to that as Sereda let him stand up to add his smalls in. Nat grinned like her name-day had come early, as she raised the stakes again on the next round and spread her hands "I do believe you're out of currency."

He stood up and Sereda made a startled sound as he picked her up at the same time and put her down on the table.

Nat blinked. "So, what does this bet entail?"

He shrugged lightly, "Ask the bet."

Sereda looked back and forth between them, "I say sod the cards."

Nat hummed, letting her gaze rake over Sereda and then Gorim before she very deliberately placed her cards down on the table. "I fold."

Gorim stood up and stretched, his own cards fluttered to the floor as he strode towards his bedroom, "well? Bed's big enough for three."

"Thought you'd never ask." Nat muttered as she and Sereda crowded through the door.


End file.
